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Insider Brief
- Bridgewater State University has received approximately $380,000 from MassTech to expand undergraduate education and research in quantum technologies.
- The funding will support the acquisition of a two-qubit optical quantum computer, an NV-defect diamond quantum sensor and two-qubit system, and QKD and QRNG equipment.
- The new systems will give students hands-on experience in quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum communications and cybersecurity.
Press release – Bridgewater State University has received approximately $380,000 from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) to expand undergraduate education and research in quantum technologies, bringing three advanced quantum systems to campus.
The MassTech Technology and Innovation Ecosystem award will support the acquisition of a two-qubit optical quantum computer, an NV-defect diamond quantum sensor and two-qubit system, and a commercial quantum key distribution (QKD) and quantum random number generation (QRNG) system.
Together, the systems will give BSU students hands-on experience in three areas of the emerging second quantum revolution: quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications and cybersecurity.
“This is about making sure the second quantum revolution is not something our students simply read about , it is something they can experience, work with and help build,” said Ed Deveney , professor of physics. “Massachusetts has established itself as a global leader in quantum technology, but that leadership requires a workforce at every level. We need scientists and engineers with Ph.D.s, but we also need people with bachelor’s degrees and technical expertise who can build, operate and advance these technologies.”
The investment addresses an identified need within Massachusetts’ quantum ecosystem for undergraduate-level education and workforce development. BSU’s programs will prepare students in physics, photonics and optical engineering, computer science and cybersecurity for careers and further study in quantum technologies.
The QKD system will also expand BSU’s cybersecurity capabilities into the emerging field of quantum-secure communications. QKD uses quantum information to establish secure encryption keys and is being explored as an approach to protecting communications in a future in which sufficiently powerful quantum computers could threaten some of today’s cryptographic systems.
The system will complement BSU’s existing Cyber Security Range, allowing students to study both conventional cyberattacks and emerging quantum-security challenges.
“Quantum technology is going to affect far more than quantum computing,” Deveney said. “It will change how we think about computing, sensing and information security. By bringing these areas together, we can give our students a much broader understanding of where this technology is going and how they can be part of it.”
The award builds on more than two decades of quantum education and research at BSU. Deveney established the university’s Lab for Quantum Studies in 1999, and BSU has since expanded its work into photonics and optical engineering, computer science and cybersecurity. The university also created the state’s first undergraduate bachelor’s degree program in Photonics and Optical Engineering.
The new equipment will support interdisciplinary research and teaching while creating opportunities for partnerships with Massachusetts’ quantum technology industry.
“Massachusetts is investing heavily in its quantum future,” Deveney said. “This gives our students the opportunity to be part of that future and helps BSU contribute to the workforce and research pipeline that Massachusetts needs.”
The equipment has been ordered and will be integrated into BSU’s academic and research programs as it arrives on campus.